October brings a full selection of new publications, ranging from the new issue of the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG)’s flagship publication—the Policy in Focus magazine, dedicated to the themes of food and nutrition security and sovereignty, to articles on the child grant programme in Zambia and family farming in Latin America and the Caribbean.

We also bring you the latest news and updates on the Centre’s activities, including its participation in events in Malawi, Mexico, Panama and Zambia, among others.

We are pleased to present you the new edition of the Policy in Focus magazine, titled “Food and nutrition security: towards the full realisation of human rights”. This special issue features 12 articles tackling the challenges involved in the attainment of the human right to adequate food and nutrition, and food and nutrition sovereignty in African countries and in Brazil.

While there has been evidence of a significant reduction in hunger and malnutrition worldwide, it is observed that this phenomenon has not occurred at the same pace in sub-Saharan Africa and in some regions of Brazil. At the same time, there has been a rapid increase in the rates of overweight, obesity and related illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiac disease, various types of cancer, etc.

In this light, the contributing guest editors of this issue have sought to present readers with a selection of authors and articles that share a broad interpretation of the human right to adequate food and nutrition. This edition was prepared as part of the project "Brazil & Africa: Fighting Poverty and Empowering Women via South-South Cooperation", financed by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), and is available for download in PDF and smartphone/tablet-friendly formats.

In the Policy Research Brief “Youth and adult literacy and education: a good practice analysis”, Gianna Moretti (Consultant) explains why the effectiveness of literacy and adult education initiatives is relative and depends on many factors, such as different local socio-economic realities, the competence of educators, the responsibilities and motivations of students, etc. This publication is available in English and Portuguese.

The One Pager “Transformative social protection: findings from the Zambian child grant and farmer input support programmes” draws on evidence from the Child Grant Programme (CGP) and the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) in Zambia to argue that there are potential untapped synergies between social and economic policies that welfare programmes have productive effects, and that productivity enhancing policies could be more effective when including poorer recipients. This publication is authored by Anna Wolkenhauer (University of Bremen), and is available in English, French, and Portuguese. It was prepared as part of the DFID-financed project "Brazil & Africa: Fighting Poverty and Empowering Women via South-South Cooperation".

The IPC-IG is pleased to be one of the development partners supporting the new Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection, as announced by world leaders and representatives of the World Bank Group and the International Labour Organization (ILO) during the United Nations General Assembly, on 21 September. The new partnership “aims to help countries reach all poor and vulnerable groups with a variety of measures to ensure that nobody lacks access to key forms of support when needed”. Read more here.

Comprehensive Social Protection Conference

The IPC-IG will participate in the international conference on ‘Comprehensive Social Protection in the SADC’, organised by the Southern African Social Protection Experts Network (SASPEN) and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation (FES), in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 18-19 October. The Centre's Research Associate, Mario Gyoeri, will deliver a presentation, "Linking agricultural support programmes to social protection initiatives—Monitoring and Evaluation results of PAA Africa". IPC-IG's Research Associate Raquel Tebaldi will deliver a presentation on "Gender-sensitive social protection systems in Brazil and Africa: opportunities for South-South Cooperation". The themes of comprehensive social protection systems, social policies and vulnerability analysis will be at the top of the event’s agenda.

IPC-IG’s Research Coordinator, Fábio Veras, joined the panel of experts to discuss the theme “Cash transfer programmes today: progress, risks and challenges”, delivering a presentation on the evidence from exit strategies of cash transfer programmes. Read the presentation here (in Spanish). Ipea Researcher, IPC-IG Research Associate and former Brazilian National Secretary of the Bolsa Familia Programme (2012-2015), Luis Henrique Paiva, joined the panel and delivered a presentation titled “Evidence on the contribution of conditional cash transfers to human capital: scope and limitations”.

Earlier this month, IPC-IG’s Research Coordinator Fábio Veras and socialprotection.org’s Senior Project Officer, Mariana Balboni,attended the Experts’ Meeting on Social Protection Assessment Tools and Methodologies, held at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Headquarters, in Paris, France, on 13- 14 October.

Last month, the socialprotection.org team participated in the 8th Social Protection Inter-agency Cooperation Board (SPIAC-B) meeting, in New York City, on 22 September. Ms. Balboni presented the achievements of the first year of socialprotection.org, an online platform dedicated to social protection. A day earlier, she attended the high-level launch of the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Mission to Malawi and Zambia

IPC-IG’s Research Associate, Pedro Arruda, undertook a mission to Malawi and Zambia as part of a study on the HIV-inclusiveness of social protection systems in those countries, from 4 to 11 September. This study intends to document and assess which cash transfer-related policy designs in those countries can potentially lead to enhanced reach and improved coverage of HIV infected and affected households, among other issues. During his stay, Mr. Arruda met with key social assistance and health stakeholders, ranging from civil society, to local and central government representatives, to donors and international organisations.

Internship and Fellowship Programmes
The IPC-IG is accepting applications from outstanding students for its 2016 Internship and Fellowship Programme. We are looking for graduate-level students who are passionate about international development and who believe that inclusive growth, the dissemination of knowledge and social development have the power to transform societies. Requirements and information on how to apply are available here. If you know someone who would be interested in joining these programmes, help us spread the word.

Now it's your turn!
We would like to hear your opinion about the Inclusive Growth Bulletin. Please send us your comments and suggestions about the newsletter as well as topics you would like to read here at: ipc@ipc-undp.org